Sevillana UEFA Cup Final

The UEFA Cup final between Sevilla and Middlesborough in Eindhoven put me in a difficult place since I almost always cheer for any Spanish team in European competition having learned about soccer during my one year stay in Madrid as a kid, but I also have a special fondness for the 'Boro Teesiders ever since the days the tiny Brazilian Juninho played for the team in the mid 90's and sparked a revival in the club.

This game was also interesting in that it was the first of two Spanish vs English matchups for UEFA club championships. Call it the appetizer to what many people are already dubbing a classic Champion’s League’s main course match between Arsenal and Barcelona. And a very entertaining match it was for 75 minutes before Sevilla scored three goals to bury Boro for good and win for their trophy starved fans.

This game was a track meet from the get go with both clubs going up and down the field in a fast and furious manner. But from he outset, Sevilla was the better organized and more skillful team and quickly demonstrated that by gaining control of midfield. Sevilla with its 3 Brazilians (Fabiano, Adriano and Alves), 1 Argentine (Saviola), and 1 Italian (Maresca) had enough Latin flair on the field and ‘Boro soon looked like those old English clubs who could only play the long ball through the air.

Fabiano got Sevilla’s first in the 27th minute on a beautiful header that Schwartz could only look at. In the 29th, the Brazilian striker blasted another shot above the bar. On the other end, it was as if Viduka and Hasselbank weren’t on the pitch. Sevilla’s physical defender put the clamps on Viduka early and never let him out of his sight (more on this later).

At the start of the second half, Sevilla took out Saviola and replaced with Mali international Kanoute and ‘Boro countered with Maccarone for Morrison on the right side. For the first 2 minutes this looked like a good move as Maccarone established some presence on the right wing with some good runs. At the 49th minute, the game changed for good as Navas, the young Spanish playmaker led a break down Sevilla’s right side with tremendous speed, leaving Gareth Southgathe in his dust. The play culminated with a wonderful shot by Fabiano that didn’t miss by much. Moments later, Viduka was denied on a point blank shot by the Sevilla keeper. Sevilla countered again with the dazzingly fast Navas. This was the clear turning point of the game as ‘Boro was denied the equalizer and Navas continued to set the tone by burning down the right side, exposing Middlesborough's lack of pace at that flank.

Middlesborough didn’t quite give up at this juncture though and they got a good shot from Maccarone in the 59th and a free kick from Hasselbank in the 68th that went just over the bar. Then in the 76th Viduka had another clear shot at goal which he missed wide right. Moments later Viduka was brought down in the area by Javi Navarro, who had played him tough all along. The referee didn’t call a PK but he should have. Viduka doesn’t go down easy but he was hammered in this case.

This represented ‘Boro’s last gasp to get an equalizer. In the 78th, Maresca latched on to a rebound from a Kanoute shot to make it 2-0. The play had been initially started by Maresca as a pass from midfield found a wide opening in the ‘Boro defense. Maresca slotted it to Navas, who continued to own the right wing. Navas cleverly crossed it back to Kanoute for his powerful shot which Schwarzer couldn’t hold. If fans thought ‘Boro still had a prayer, Maresca himself put the final dagger with a beautiful ‘bounce’ shot past a befuddled ‘Boro keeper. Kanoute finished the job with a garbage time goal after another shot from, you guessed it, Navas (definitely my man of the match for the influence he had on the game although the popular pick was the goal scorer Maresca).

Arsenal better had paid attention to this game because Sevilla plays a very similar game to Barcelona and in this two match test of which league is better, Sevilla has given round 1 to the Liga over the EPL.